Hobby inspires product

CLAYTON PARK, WORD ON THE STREET

Sunday

Sep 25, 2011 at 12:01 AMAug 15, 2012 at 11:08 AM

For the past 10 years, brothers Mason and Danny Baxter have made a living installing home theaters and audio/video systems for homes and businesses as the owners of Baxter Technologies in Flagler County.

But their shared passion for riding off-road motorbikes in their spare time, along with their kids, prompted them to create a product that they believe has the potential to catapult their business into the big time.

The product is a portable, detached lightweight stand for off-road motorbikes that they have dubbed the "Quikstand." Weighing less than 10 pounds, the aluminum stand can be adjusted to accommodate both motorbikes for adults and children and has a retail price of $130.

Unlike regular motorcycles, off-road motorbikes don't have built-in kickstands. As a result, riders of off-road motorbikes have no choice but to either lay them on the ground when not in use or find something to lean them against. The new Quik- stand, which is just 16 inches square in size, now provides an alternative, said Mason Baxter, the company's president. He said his older brother Danny came up with the idea for the stand.

While the company only has five employees, Baxter anticipates adding three or four workers this fall and growing his workforce to 25 employees within three years.

In anticipation of that growth, Baxter Technologies in July moved from a 1,200-square-foot space in Bunnell into a 10,000-square- foot building at 15A Hargrove Grade in Palm Coast. It will hold an open house on Wednesday, starting at 10:30 a.m. For more on the company, call 386-586-5220.

BIG NAMES ON SHORT LIST

The Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce traditionally brings in big-name national figures to deliver the keynote address at its annual dinner.

Next year's event promises to be no exception.

Chamber CEO Larry McKinney said a decision has not yet been made, but revealed two names on his group's short list: former Florida Gators football coach Urban Meyer and Ben Stein, the actor/author/television commentator.

The chamber's 2012 dinner will be in early February at the Ocean Center.

'PIZZA HOUSE' SOLD

Four months after posting a for-sale sign on Riverside Drive in Holly Hill with the unusual offer of "Free pizza with house purchase," Realtor Diana Pendleton of Keller Williams Realty, reports the "pizza house" has finally been sold.

While the free pizza offer accomplished Pendleton's goal of getting attention, it was not a factor in the buyers' decision.

The buyers -- a couple who already lived in the area but were seeking a larger home -- weren't even aware of the offer.